Many people plan to hang out in the sun this summer, and while there's always fun to be had in those situations, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Sarah Caldwell learned first-hand the dangers of what unprotected sun exposure can do.

CAPTAIN ROY TAYLOR. THAT IS A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. HAVE YOU STARTED MAKING YOUR SUMMER PLANS YET? CHANCES ARE THAT THEY INCLUDE TIME IN THE SUN. MANY OF US STILL DO NOT PROTECT OUR SKIN ENOUGH. SARAH CALDWELL HAS AN IMPORTANT LESSON SHE LEARNED FIRSTHAND. IT IS A SERIOUS WAKE-UP CALL FOR ME, AFTER YEARS OF BAKING IN THE SUN AS A CHILD AND TEENAGER, I'M FINALLY PAYING THE PRICE. A SMALL POT ON MY FACE BEGAN TO FORM YEARS AGO, BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL RECENTLY -- SPOT ON MY FACE BEGAN TO FORM YEARS AGO, BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL RECENTLY -- IN THE EARLY STAGE, THEY WILL BE SOFT AND PINK LIKE THIS AND SHINY. BASAL CELL CARCINOMA IS CAUSED BY SUN EXPOSURE. IT CAN APPEAR AS A PINK GROWTH OR SORE THAT WILL NOT HEAL. PEOPLE LIKE ME SOMETIMES DO NOT GOING GET CHECKED OUT. A LOT OF TIMES, THEY THINK , MAYBE I HAVE SOMETHING BUT THEY ARE SCARED IT WILL BE CANCER SO THEY DO NOT GO. ALTHOUGH BASAL CELL IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF SKIN CANCER, IT IS ALSO THE MOST EASILY TREATED. IT APPEARS AS A NEW OR CHANGING SKIN GROWTH, USUALLY ASYMMETRIC WITH IRREGULAR BORDERS AND COLOR, AND IS USUALLY LARGER THAN THE ERASER ON A PENCIL. IT IS AGGRESSIVE AND TENDS TO GO INTO YOUR OTHER ORGANS QUICKLY. IF CAUGHT QUICKLY, EVEN MELANOMA CAN BE TREATED AND CURED. PREVENTION, AND THE USE OF SUNSCREEN TO NOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH SHE RECOMMENDS AN SPF OF 30 -- CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. SHE RECOMMENDS AN SPF OF 30. IN YOUR CASE, WHEN WE CHECKED, THE MARGIN WAS CLEAR. EVEN JUST SHAVING THAT LITTLE BUMP OFF WAS SUFFICIENT TO GET THE WHOLE CANCER OFF. BUT THE DOCTOR DID FIND ANOTHER BASAL CELL. IT TOO WAS REMOVED AND THE MARGINS WERE CLEAR. BUT I LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON. GETTING TO THE DOCTOR AS SOON AS